At Greenside Canine Training, we pride ourselves on making a substantial difference to the lives of dogs and their owners across Indiana (and beyond). Our guiding principles are based on strengthening the human-canine relationship and creating a plan that helps you to achieve your dog training goals, whether through our Board and Train programs, private lessons, or another type of dog training.
We truly believe our dog training approach separates us from our competitors. This doesn’t just come from our foundational knowledge in dog training, guided by knowledge rooted in science, and our commitment to continuing education. It also stems from the way we have structured our training facility and business processes to maximize the learning experience for every dog in which we come into contact. Our approach is personalized and designed to get the results you need with your dog.
In this article, we’re going to explore what separates Greenside Canine from other dog training facilities.
1) The ‘Home Training’ environment replicates real-world scenarios
Many of the pitfalls associated with Board and Train programs concern the fact that the dog will ‘revert to type’ once they return to an indoor, home environment. A contributing factor here is that many dog trainers will work with dogs in an outdoor setting, despite the fact that the behavioral problems they are trying to resolve may be encountered indoors or within the dog’s home. Additionally, larger facilities may have several dogs waiting behind a door, or barking from the sidelines in kennels – not a true reflection of the dog’s home life, nor a suitable environment for the dog to learn.
At Greenside Canine, our unique setup allows us to bring dogs into our on-site home and mimic some of the behavioral issues that owners need resolved. A great example would be a behavior like counter surfing, which would be almost impossible to resolve if we solely worked with the dog outside. Instead, we can structure scenarios within our home that replicate the problems that dog owners are facing – thus setting them up for a successful return when they arrive home in a similar context.
2) Substantial training time for every dog
When signing your dog up for a Board and Train program at any training facility, it is vital to consider the amount of hands-on training time your dog will actually receive during their stay. Larger facilities may be able to handle more dogs, but consider the ratio of dogs to trainers. Is your dog actually going to receive the dedicated, one-on-one training time they need to reach your objectives?
At Greenside Canine, we never have more than eight dogs at our facility at any one time. These dogs are allocated across our three full-time dog trainers. The main benefit of this approach is that your dog receives a sufficient amount of training time every day to actually help achieve your dog training goals! With an average of fewer than three dogs per trainer, you can rest assured that your pup is receiving the training attention they need.
3) Off the clock attention & care
At our dog training facility just north of Indianapolis, our kennels were intentionally built less than ten feet behind our home – so not only do we live on-site with your pups, but it is literally a matter of seconds for us to go and check on them. This is opposed to some larger facilities, where dogs are left unsupervised overnight or kennels are situated on the other side of the property, away from the trainer.
Our set up offers peace of mind for you – not just during the active training time, but even in early mornings and late evenings – that your dogs will be looked after by our Greenside Canine team as if they were one of our own pets.
4) State-of-the-art facility
When designing our facility, we wanted to prioritize the security, safety and comfort of every dog who comes to us for a training program. We also ensured that any training equipment would provide a safe and fun experience for all.
WIth this in mind, our kennels are extremely secure with a very modern design – not the standard, cheaper metal grate kennels you may have seen historically at other facilities (because of the kennels at our facility, dogs cannot chew on them – they also cannot fence fight through them with other dogs). In addition, we have 10 outdoor runs measuring 70ft x 30ft, which dogs can use during nice weather and when not training. This ensures that dogs in our care have the freedom to move around and aren’t confined to their kennel for the majority of the day.
5) Science-based training philosophy
We pride ourselves on approaching dog training from a position of science. We utilize all quadrants of operant conditioning, and apply processes like desensitization and counterconditioning. Education is imperative to our dog training philosophy. Our founder, Clay Ford, is a graduate of the Master Dog Trainer program at the School for Dog Trainers, which covers all aspects of dog training – including pet dogs, working dogs and service dogs.
All Greenside Canine team members are professional dog trainers who do this as a full-time position. We are fully committed to furthering our own understanding and learning of canine behavior to best serve dog owners in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas.
6) Doggy field trips
We previously explored the abundance of dog-friendly places in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas to explore with our dogs. Our trainers don’t just recommend these places to local owners – we actually use them ourselves!
Board and Train dogs are frequently taken on field trips to home improvement stores, pet stores, local parks, and other public places. This enables the dogs to work on their training around the distractions offered by people and other dogs, while also presenting ideal socialization opportunities. This builds confidence in the dog and allows them to generalize the desired behavior, regardless of the external stimuli and surroundings.
In summary
If you’re looking for a dog trainer in central Indiana, we would love to welcome you and your dog to Greenside Canine! We offer Board and Train programs, private dog training lessons, group classes, and more.
For more information on how we can help your dog, please contact us at (317) 558-9145 or email us at train@greensidecanine.com.